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The sinkhole that housed the Hall of Inquiry was kidney-shaped. Its rim was fringed with green, its floor held a crystal-clear pool, and a single shaft of daylight slanted down from above to strike the round boulder at the water’s center.
That boulder was the lectern. Thanks to the unique terrain, every speaker enjoyed natural surround-sound.
Along the cliff walls, people had chiseled out tier upon tier of stone paths, creating seating for the audience and passageways for entry and exit.
It was simple yet charming.
He Lingchuan and his companion arrived late; the seats were all but taken. From where they stood, the encircling cliffs showed more than a dozen levels of terraces, every tier thronged with people. It was a stirring sight.
From boys of eleven or twelve to men in their fifties and sixties, every face was alight with thirst for knowledge.
“So many people!” A single misstep or a panicked shove, and someone could tumble straight into the deep pool below.
Hu Min murmured to He Lingchuan, “This is nothing. You’ve never seen it when the Red General holds court; that’s what’s packed. Two people squeeze onto a seat, some would rather hang there in mid-air just to listen, and even the pool at the...
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